Firmware - when or even if to change.

[curious aardvark]

I know nothing about the creators firmware.

Is it pure makerbot - or is it adjusted by flashforge ?

Apparently I have both version 1 and version 7.2 (think that's what it said)

Then there's the little voice in my head (the one that makes me root android stuff) that says: if you changed the firmware you could get repetier host and cura to talk directly to the printer.

The more I use makerware - the louder that voice gets.

Are there any other firmwares out there I could use - and if they don't work, how easy is it to reflash with the one I've got at the moment ?

Having bricked an iphone in the past - I'm not going to flash unless it's risk free :-)

[jfkansas]

Sailfish is pretty risk free. It is worth the change. I think the only way to go back is if you have a handheld programmer.

Flashforge firmware is essentially Makerbot's with a few tweaks. It even says press M when done, even though there isn't an M button.

[jdg56]

This is good timing. I was just about to bring up a firmware question of my own.

I have the PowerSpec 3dX version of the Flashforge Creator X. I use both replicatorg and makerware to print. Starting last night, every time I try to use makerware, it fails, and a dialog pops up advising me that I have old firmware.

It's rather tacky that it waits until after the heating cycle is done to advise me of this, but that's for another time.

I have two questions, actually.

The main question is, if makerbot is offering to upgrade my firmware, should I do so? Am I going to brick my printer, or will the native makerbot firmware install and run in the flashforge/powerspec printer?

The second (and moderatly related, I think) is, I can use makerware, though it identifies my printer as 'eeprom_err', and if i try to connect to it as a replicator dual that connection fails and I have to restart services to get a connection back. Is there any tweak one can do to cause the printer to be recognized more easily?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

John

[Geoff]

I know nothing about the creators firmware.

Is it pure makerbot - or is it adjusted by flashforge ?

Apparently I have both version 1 and version 7.2 (think that's what it said)

Then there's the little voice in my head (the one that makes me root android stuff) that says: if you changed the firmware you could get repetier host and cura to talk directly to the printer.

The more I use makerware - the louder that voice gets.

Are there any other firmwares out there I could use - and if they don't work, how easy is it to reflash with the one I've got at the moment ?

Having bricked an iphone in the past - I'm not going to flash unless it's risk free :-)

I am going to give you advice some people here will cringe at.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

I have never upgraded the firmware in my machine in a couple of years - this is what it prints like:

http://www.thingiverse.com/Geoffro/made

I am running on firmware v1.0. No issue that ever occured in a print, filament or anything that went wrong ever came down to firmware for me - it was always mechanical (or the program I was using)

I thought about upgrading to v7.2.. but I sell alot of things and really, if I break my machine for even a few hours I'm behind on orders, so I just never felt like taking the gamble. I'm sure it's got alot of improvements on the old v1.0
That being said, don't be afraid of flashing it - they are a simple AT Mega board, and worse case scenario, it's almost the cheapest part of your printer at about $40 for a completely new board (and you could choose from several really)

[curious aardvark]

I am going to give you advice some people here will cringe at.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

I have never upgraded the firmware in my machine in a couple of years - this is what it prints like:

http://www.thingiverse.com/Geoffro/made

I am running on firmware v1.0. No issue that ever occured in a print, filament or anything that went wrong ever came down to firmware for me - it was always mechanical (or the program I was using)

I thought about upgrading to v7.2.. but I sell alot of things and really, if I break my machine for even a few hours I'm behind on orders, so I just never felt like taking the gamble. I'm sure it's got alot of improvements on the old v1.0
That being said, don't be afraid of flashing it - they are a simple AT Mega board, and worse case scenario, it's almost the cheapest part of your printer at about $40 for a completely new board (and you could choose from several really)

wow impressed at the stuff you make.

I'm sure that if I ever get filament to stick to something reliably, mine will do as well (even if I can't paint)

So what do you print on, day to day (surface wise) ?

[Geoff]

wow impressed at the stuff you make.

I'm sure that if I ever get filament to stick to something reliably, mine will do as well (even if I can't paint)

So what do you print on, day to day (surface wise) ?

I use Kapton tape for shiny finish on prints and blue tape when it doesnt matter and I need super stick. I used to cover the entire bed in a layer of kapton, which can be tricky so now I just cover as much of the aluminum plate as I need for the build.

I also have a new printer coming with a glass plate which I am keep to try, I have wood filament here I cant use on the current flashforge

[rovino]

dude those are beautiful prints.. done with supports? or rafters? honestly on the Dreamer I cannot tell the difference between rafters or supports.. I only have a support option and I try like hell to not press that button.. maybe I'll buy some water soluble filament and see if that helps on some of the 45 degree overhang issues i get

[Roxy]

and see if that helps on some of the 45 degree overhang issues i get

45 degree's is easy! You just build on the curved lip on the outside parameter!!!!

[curious aardvark]

the main issue for me - is will changing the firmware let me use cura or repetier host ? having spent the last 9 months or so practicing with those - makerware is just awful by comparison.
Yes it does the job, but not well and not easily and only with a lot of pissing about.

If changing firmware won't make any difference to the programs that will talk to the printe:, then yep - not broke, don't hit with a hammer.

[curious aardvark]

and are you using mostly abs or pla ?

Have to admit I haven't tried pla much yet. Apparently it curls less.
Also haven't tried the laywood or nylon yet (got both)
The nylon - apparently - is best printed on a sheet of cold plywood. Can't remember what laywood prints best on.

My next job is calibrating when hot (until reading thread yesterday - that hadn't occured to me lol) and printing a full size abs printing plate.
On the ground the thing abs sticks to best is abs. So hot abs onto cold should stick but not totally bond.
There are a lot of printers on crowd funding sites that claim abs on cold surfaces and most seem to be printing on plastic plates. So I thought I'd make my own.
Preliminary tests with a myriwell 3d pen and a 10x10cm slab of abs would seem to indicate it works quite well.
We'll see :-)